Review Sections

Editors' note: This app was pulled from the App Store and is no longer available.

KitCam is a photo- and video-editing tool in a sea of similar apps in the App Store, but an intuitive tool layout, unique effects, and fine-tuning capabilities make it an excellent choice. The latest version of the app helps you take low-light photos, and adds several other features to make it even better.

With this app, you can mix and match 15 lenses, 32 different films, and 20 frames to create great-looking images and video. But you also have tons of handy tools to experiment with and all of your filters are previewed live before you take the shot. The interface is easy to navigate with an intuitive layout, but hides an enormous amount of useful tools for taking pictures and video.

You have the option to pick a photo from your library, but it's a little tricky and not very intuitive. To get to your camera roll, you need to go to the KitCam photo library (shots you've already taken), then slide your finger downwards to show a couple more menu items. I'm glad the option is there, but I wonder why it's hidden. When taking a fresh photo, you can see what your filters and effects will look like before you snap the picture. From there, KitCam has a slide-out drawer in the lower right of the interface where you can choose among lenses, films, and frames, then select which ones you want to use.

Some lenses let you adjust effects by making a twisting two-finger motion on the screen. But on the lower left of the interface, there's a gear button for several pro-level camera options. In this slide-up menu, you can choose from continuous-shooting options, high-speed shooting, multi-exposure shots, time-lapse, and more. You also can get an onscreen level, choose from several grid overlays, pick the aspect ratio of your photo, or view a histogram to judge the overall tonal quality of the image. What becomes clear is that KitCam is trying to be the jack-of-all-trades camera app, and I think it succeeds.

Jason Parker has been at CNET for nearly 15 years. He is the senior editor in charge of iOS software and has become an expert reviewer of the software that runs on each new Apple device. He now spends most of his time covering Apple iOS releases and third-party apps.
See full bio